A ceremony held on Tuesday marked the completion of a modernized railway line between Békéscsaba and Lőkösháza, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that the new factories opening across the Great Hungarian Plain will create about 50,000 jobs in the coming years. He also underlined that thanks to the latest rail developments, travel between Budapest and Brașov will soon be five hours shorter.
Orbán emphasized that Fidesz–KDNP is the only political force in Hungary with a comprehensive programme for the Great Plain region. He pointed to several ongoing and planned road projects, including the completion of the M44 motorway this year, the design of the M47 expressway linking Békéscsaba with Debrecen, and the expansion of the M4 near Szolnok and Kisújszállás, extending to Berettyóújfalu and beyond. Alongside these projects, a new railway line is being built between Szeged and Kiskunfélegyháza, while trains on the upgraded Lőkösháza section can now run at speeds of up to 160 km/h.
The prime minister recalled that over a century ago, Hungary was cut off from its natural economic lifelines by new borders, which weakened the region. Today, he argued, such divisions are being overcome with modern connections and industrial investment. He highlighted recent announcements such as the arrival of the Singapore-based Vulcan Shield Global in Békéscsaba with a major plant, Airbus’s presence in Gyula, Mercedes’s expansion in Kecskemét, BYD’s factory in Szeged, and BMW’s new plant in Debrecen. Altogether, Orbán said, these projects will generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
He added that the government is working toward establishing a new economic zone linking Békéscsaba, Debrecen, and Nagyszalonta over the next 15 years, aiming to make the region a competitive and integrated part of Hungary’s economy.
The railway modernization project itself was realized with 186 billion forints in EU funding under Hungary’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. It covers 30 kilometres of track, upgraded signalling and energy systems, new diagnostic technologies, noise protection barriers, and fully refurbished stations in Lőkösháza, Kétegyháza, and Szabadkígyós. Accessibility improvements such as elevators, underpasses, and modern platforms were also introduced, alongside new park-and-ride and bike-and-ride facilities. Local officials praised the developments as a historic leap for the region. They stressed that Békés County is no longer a periphery but on a path of unprecedented growth, set to become a vital and competitive hub in the national economy
Related articles:
